I stared at my reflection in the mirror, horrified. My hair looked like a bird’s nest hit by a storm, and my left eye, somehow was larger than the right. Maybe from all that screaming. Or maybe from the nightmare called Hugo, the human koala who had used me as his favorite sleeping pillow all night.
I took a deep breath. Okay. I still had a shred of dignity left. One or two percent, at most.
Fifteen minutes later, after a lightning-fast shower, brushing my teeth, brushing my hair, brushing the last remains of my shame-riddled heart, and putting on a casual white dress that felt like salvation, I was... ready. Or at the very least, presentable enough to face other humans without sending them running.
I cracked the bedroom door open and peeked out. Empty. No Hugo. No traps. Clear.
I stepped out quietly and made my way down the stairs toward the dining room.
And there he was.
Hugo sat at the long breakfast table, surrounded by both our families, younger cousins, and Grandma Graciela. Ever
